Consumerism

    Consumerism is the act of acquiring goods and services that are beyond our needs or financial capabilities for the sake of superficial perception of success. It is the unnecessary and excessive consumption of goods that supposedly prioritises the consumer's needs and strengthens our economy. It has both pros and cons but its cons definitely outweigh its advantages.
        The concept of consumerism has been adopted globally. Conspicuous consumption has been normalised and idolised by the world so much so that it has started to cause an economic crisis, which is the opposite of its ideology. Despite its disadvantages it has been on the rise and even more so in the past few years. 
The cause of consumerism and its increase

1. Advertisements are one of the main driving forces behind consumerism. They are a key factor in pushing consumers to make decisions. Even if a person is not interested in purchasing any goods or services, advertisements can spark curiosity which leads to impulse buying. If a person has gained interest, then advertisements can encourage a person to make a purchase.

1. The false perception of success brought by conspicuous consumption has caused people to forget about their needs and indulge in the falsehood. People tend to forget their realities for the fear of missing out, and the joy of catching up with people.

1. Social media is undoubtedly one of the major factors promoting consumerism. Especially since social media takes so much user data which is used for targeted advertisements. The main purpose of social media is to advertise and earn ad revenue.

1. Life style inflation is another reason for the steady rise of consumerism in the recent years. It happens when the things that an individual used to perceive as luxury becomes a necessity.

Effects of consumerism 

1. Consumerism is a huge problem for the environment. It involves using an excessive amount of energy and resources for producing goods that are beyond our needs. It is one of the leading sources of carbon emissions due to processes involved like manufacturing and transporting. It also produces a lot of excess waste, which is concerning for the environment.

1. It creates issues between people and their financial freedom. The constant influence of social media influences people to keep up with trends and gadgets while risking their own financial stability.

1. It promotes materialism in our society with creates burden for our societal relations. It is harmful for our society.

How to control it?

1. The first step that we need to take to become a conscious consumer is to ask ourselves a few questions. When we are about to buy impulsively, we need to ask ourselves, do we really need it or was it a fleeting urge? will it be used more than twice before being forgotten? And did you truly want it or you were influenced into buying it?

1. If you were influenced into buying it then you need to remember about who is truly benefiting from your purchase. Is it you or the influencers and companies that benefit from your purchase.

1. We should always prioritise practicality over appearance. 

1. We need to make small adjustments in our lifestyle and, adopt accordingly to gradually get used to it.

    I would like to remind everyone that sometimes, purchasing goods and services for our happiness is completely fine. The problem arises when we cannot control our urges and our financial stability. We should be able to identify between our wants and needs, and make clear plans to become financially stable. It's a step we have to take for our and our environment's  prosperity.